How To: Choosing The Right Clasp For You
Hello Dear Readers!
Today is all about CLASPS! Those fiddly things that can make the difference between taking your jewelry off at the end of the night-- or spending hours scanning the floor in hopes of finding the lost trinket. Different types of clasps work differently, and they work differently for different people. Let this article guide you through selecting a custom clasp for your copper chain-- the right choice will make all the difference!
Lobster Clasps - The Most Secure
If you're an avid jewelry wearer, you're likely to be familiar with a lobster clasp. Lobster clasps have the highest security of our clasp options. The lever mechanism ensures that the claw is a closed loop-- meaning that unless something catastrophic happens, your chain will safely jangle around but not come loose. Lobster clasps are great for dancing, running, or any high-movement activity. Any time you might need a little extra security, look to the lobster clasp!
The drawback to lobster clasps is their purity. Because of the delicate mechanism inside, a lobster clasp made out of a softer metal like copper is more likely to break-- meaning a pure copper lobster clasp is a rare commodity. This is why we use brass clasps plated in copper-- Brass is a stronger, more durable metal and lends longevity to our pure copper pieces. Durable? Yes! However, if you are looking for a pure copper piece of jewelry for spiritual or health reasons, you may look to the Hook & Eye clasp.
Hook & Eye Clasp - The Purest
The Hook and Eye clasp is an ancient technology. The hook and eye was used by ancient Egyptians to fasten necklaces and bracelets, often made of soft metals like gold or copper. It's a simple mechanism-- a loop of copper wire is fashioned into a hook, which slides through a ring of copper to hang around your neck or your wrist.
These clasps are pure copper, no need to monkey around with other metals. You may be wondering-- if copper is such a soft metal, how can these clasps possibly be secure? The answer is that jewelers over thousands of years have perfected a technique that we use on every order: it's called Work Hardening. As jewelers, we know that metal starts out very soft and malleable, but with more bending, hammering, and working, it becomes much stiffer. That's why every hook and eye clasp is hammered by hand-- each delicate blow with the hammer hardens the metal until it's very difficult to bend with just a tug. Personally, I enjoy the way these clasps look-- ancient & mystical, with a handmade touch.
The drawback to these types of clasps is that they don't stand up very well to jostling. If you are planning on running, jumping, tumbling, roller-coaster-ing, etc., there is a chance that the hook can slip out of the eye and your chain may go tumbling to the ground.
Magnetic Clasps - The Easiest
Magnetic clasps are our newest clasp option, and the Elves and I are so excited to introduce them to you! Magnetic clasps have a ton of benefits. They are incredibly easy to put on and take off-- making them a perfect choice if you have achy fingers, live alone, or are as clumsy as we are. They have a satisfying 'click' to them that really makes you feel ready to take on the world.
My personal favorite perk of magnetic clasps is that they can be joined with other bracelets and necklaces with magnetic clasps-- so you can mix & match a new version of your chains together, make one big mega chain, or extend the length of a chain very, very easily.
Magnetic clasps have similar issues as the Hook & Eye-- not the best choice for high-energy activities. Although the magnets are very strong, a firm yank on the dance floor would be cause for concern. As for purity, the shell of the magnetic clasp is brass-- plated with real rose gold for a beautifully coppery finish.
So you can see, there are many options to choose from! The right choice for you will depend on your lifestyle & preferences. What's your favorite? Let us know, we'd love to hear from you!
